Rug display rack



'Jan. 10, 1967 J. R. RADEK 3,297,165

RUG DISPLAY RACK Filed Dec. 8, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jim B. Badek Jan. 10, 1967 J. R. RADEK RUG DISPLAY RACK Filed Dec. 8, 1964 mum/r02 JBhnEadek M Cl'iys 3 eets-Sheet 2 I I III QQM mm W v W F x i 1,

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a c 1. bull IEL IW M Jan. 10, 1967 J. R. RADEK RUG DISPLAY RACK 3 SheetsSheet 5 Filed Dec. 8, 1964 INVENTOIZ John .2. Badek United States Patent 3,297,165 RUG DISPLAY RACK John R. Radek, Hinsdale, Ill., assignor to Ready Metal Mfg. Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 416,734 Claims. (Cl. 21146) My invention relates to display racks for use in a mercantile establishment such as a retail store or other establishment where merchandise is offered for sale, and has to do more particularly with racks especially designed for display of carpeting and rugs and like fabrics produced in relatively large sheets.

This invention may be considered an improvement over my invention disclosed and claimed in my allowed patent application Serial No. 212,110, filed July 24, 1962, now Patent No. 3,185,309.

It has been customary in the offering of carpeting in retail stores, display rooms, etc., to show carpeting samples in a pile disposed on the floor or low table, said material being in rather large size, say about 9 x 12 feet or the like. In showing such material it is necessary that the salesmen, with the exercise of considerable physical effort, throw back each individual rug or carpet to reveal each one in turn. This process might have to be repeated a number of times until the transaction is consummated.

Such procedure is exhausting to the sales person and requires a great deal of valuable floor space.

According to my invention, I provide a new and improved rackfor the display of carpeting or like sheet material, whereby a maximum number of samples may be displayed in a minimum of space and with a minimum of effort. More particularly, my invention contemplates a rack wherein a plurality of samples of sheet material such as carpeting or the like are suspended in closely spaced generally parallel vertical planes, thus utilizing a minimum of horizontal area.

A further object of my invention is to provide a display device of the character referred to wherein the samplesupporting elements are normally disposed in a partly or wholly enclosed cabinet positioned against a wall, thus protecting the samples from dust and light, which supporting elements may manually be drawn out from the enclosure by simple sliding movement to a position convenient for viewing. Said samples may be moved in and out of 1 the enclosure to and from a convenient viewing position with a minimum of eifort; furthermore, a plurality of samples may be disposed in convenient viewing position at the same time for ready comparison, which is not possible by the old arrangement referred to above.

As another object of my invention I provide an improved sample-supporting rack which will permit quick and easy engagement and disengagement with a sample of carpeting or other sheet material, whereby such samples may be readily changed as desired, such rack being designed to support such a sample in free depending relation to the rack, whereby it may be conveniently handled.

Still another object is to provide a combination of such a rack in sliding and detachable relation to a fixed support whereby the rack together with the sample sheet carried thereby is capable of limited sliding movement as well as detachment from the support.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rack of the character referred to in combination with a fixed overhead support, the rack and support having cooperating stop means for limiting movement of the rack into the support and also cooperating stop means for releasably limiting movement of the rack out of the support while automatically permitting free entry of the rack into the support. While devices embodying my prior invention have proven highly successful and have been sold and used in large numbers, my invention of the present application is considered a marked improvement thereover in certain respects. Thus, while devices of the former invention were constructed largely of sheet metal, my present invention is susceptible of fabrication largely of wire, effecting a substantial saving in weight and cost and with no sacrifice of efliciency.

While functioning in a manner generally similar to my former invention, the present invention embodies further important revisions in structure, as well as material, all as fully described herebelow, which make for added improvements in the ease and cost of fabrication as well as facility in use.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating certain preferred embodiments of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rug display rack or holder embodying my invention in open condition;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view showing a plurality of racks as shown in FIG. 1 in conjunction with sample swatches and disposedin a cabinet, one of the racks being in process of being drawn out for display;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal elevational view of the rack seen in FIG. 1 in closed condition, the support therefor being shown fragmentarily in longitudinal section;

FIG. 4 is a plan-section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view seen from a position substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 3 ;v

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal elevational view showing the rack in combination with a swatch of carpeting or the like clamped therein;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the opposite side of the rack;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the rack showing an alternative form of securing means for retaining the rack in closed, clamping condition, and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 10 indicates in general a rack or holder for a swatch of carpeting or other flexible and penetrable sheet material, such as a textile fabric. Although, as stated hereabove, my invention is designed to be especially applicable to display racks for rugs and carpeting materials, it also can be employed for the display of various other sheet materials, such as those designed for draperies, etc.

It is intended that a plurality of racks 10 embodying my invention may be disposed in a suitable cabinet, the upper wall 15 of which is seen in FIG. 2. Such a cabinet may be disposed against a wall, for maximum economy of space, and may be provided with suitable doors (not shown) for exclusion of dust and light.

The racks 10 are supported in close spaced parallel relation from the underside of cabinet wall 15 by means of a generally U-shaped hanger 18, the legs of the U depending from the web portion thereof and the latter preferably being perforated for passage of screws attaching the hanger to cabinet wall 15, as seen in FIG. 3.

By reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be seen that the free ends of the legs of hanger 18 are deformed to provide opposed inwardly facing channel portions 20, 20 for slid- -ably seating an elongated plate 23 which serves as a support for a two-part clamp 27.

Clamp 27 is formed substantially of relatively stiff wire stock of suitable gauge to provide the required strength to support the sample to be displayed, and comprises a pair of elongated and roughly coextensive members 30a and 30b which are hingedly secured together adjacent one end of the clamp, whereby they may be swung apart, as seen in FIG. 1, for attaching or removing a swatch of material.

Clamp member 30a comprises a generally rectangular frame formed of wire elements 35, while clamp member 30b comprises a pair of generally parallel wires 37, 37. For increasing the strength of the frame 30a I may secure thereto as by brazing or welding a pair of longitudinal wires 36, 36 parallel to each other and to the main course of elements 35, and the latter may be bent inwardly in X-form, as indicated at 39, for further stiffening and to provide additional brazing points for wires 36, 36 at their points of crossing or contact. Said wires 36, 36 may likewise provide hinge elements for the clamp, said wires 36, 36 having their ends bent outwardly to form pintles 42, 42 which pivotally engage eye portions 45, 45 formed on the ends of the longitudinal wires 37 of clamp member 3017.

The outer end of clamp member 30a is preferably formed, as indicated at 48, to provide a convenient handle of any appropriate shape for grasping the rack, whereby it may be manually slid back and forth in hanger 18.

Clamp 30b is essentially a pair of generally parallel wire members 37 hinged, as aforesaid, to member 30a by means of eyes 45 and pintles 42. Suitable transverse re-inforcing Struts 52, also preferably of wire, may be provided. The longitudinal wires 37 are preferably not only sufficiently stifi to meet the requirements of the device, but also have a certain amount of resilience, being normally bowed, as seen in FIG. 1, away from the plane of the rack when the two clamp members 30a and 30b are secured together in clamping relation to a swatch. This construction contributes to a firm and positive grip on the sample swatch S secured in the clamp.

Suitable means is provided for detachably securing together the end portions of clamp members 30a and 30b opposite their hinge. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such securing means may take a wide variety of forms and, while I have shown certain preferred arrangements for this purpose, I do not consider myself limited thereto.

One form of retaining means may comprise a threaded stud 55 having an eye 56 on one end thereof swivelled on transverse wire 57 of clamp member 30a and having a thumb screw 58 threaded on the opposite end thereof. Transverse end wire 60 on clamp member 30b has a bight 62 formed thereon. When clamp members 30a and 3012 are brought together, as seen in FIGS. 3-5, bight 62 will be disposed adjacent the transverse wire portion of clamp member 30a and stud 55 may then be swivelled over said bight and the two clamp members secured together by turning up the thumb screw.

While not indispensible, for improved grip on sample swatch S, I preferably provide a plurality of spaced and staggered tangs 65 welded or brazed to longitudinal wire members 36 for penetrating and thus positively securing the swatch in the clamp.

As seen best in FIG. 3, the longitudinal wires of clamp members 30a and 30b are so positioned relative to each other that they will be nested, rather than to overlap. In other Words, the two clamp members mesh together, further contributing toward positive engagement with the sample swatch.

In the alternative construction shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, I disclose a different form of clamping means for detachably securing together clamp members 30a and 3017. In this form the transverse wire element 60' of clamp member 3011 is connected to longitudinal Wires 36 by means of resilient hook-like legs 60", 60 whereby the latter may be sprung over the end transverse element 62 of clamp member 30a for attaching said members together. Obviously, they may be sprung or snapped apart by a reverse movement.

After a sample swatch S of fabric or the like has been secured within the clamp, as described above, the latter may be slideably disposed Within hanger 18 by seating the carrier plate 23 within channel 20, and sliding the plate into the hanger. A suitable stop member may be provided on the upper face of plate 23, which may take the form of a resilient bumper formed of rubber, synthetic rubber or the like, said bumper cooperating with fixed stop member 72 which may be a plate or the like welded or brazed inside hanger 18. Said stop 72 limits inward movement of the rack into hanger 18.

To restrict outward movement, I provide within hanger 18 (FIG. 3) a movable latch member 75 in the form of a plate or dog retained adjacent the upper wall of hanger 18 by means of a pintle 77, dog 75 being deformed as at 78 to provide a trunnion seating snugly on said pintle. Said dog has a lip 80 extending out of hanger 18 and at its opposite end has an upwardly extending flange 82.

It will be apparent from FIG. 3 that, when the rack is drawn forwardly for displaying the sample carried thereby, stop 70 will abut against flange 82 of latch 75 to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the rack from hanger 18, said latch 75 normally assuming its locking position as shown in full lines in FIG. 3 by gravity. When it is desired to remove the rack from the hanger, as for changing the sample swatch carried thereby, one need only digitally depress tongue 80 of latch 75, thus raising the latter out of the path of bumper 70, as seen dotted in FIG. 3, and permitting complete withdrawal of the rack. However, upon inserting the rack into hanger 18, bumper 70 will cam latch 75 about its pivot 77 and thus the rack may be slid into the hanger without restriction until bumper 70 meets fixed stop 72.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for supporting and displaying a freely depending sheet and comprising a fixed hanger providing a generally horizontal track,

(a) a holder for detachably engaging a top marginal portion of a swatch of sheet material, said holder being supported by and below said hanger in generally parallel relation thereto for sliding movement into and out of the hanger, said holder comprising (b) a pair of relatively narrow, elongated clamping members of substantial width,

(0) one of said members having means slideable in said track,

(d) means for pivotally securing said members together adjacent one end thereof, and

(e) manually operable means adjacent their opposite ends for detachably latching said members together, (f) said clamping members having cooperating portions adapted to engage the top of the depending sheet at a plurality of levels thereof, thereby to distort the top of the sheet at said plurality of levels to effectively clamp the sheet therebetween.

2. In a device for supporting and displaying a freely depending sheet and comprising a fixed hanger providing a generally horizontal track,

(a) a holder for detachably engaging a top marginal portion of a swatch of sheet material, said holder being supported by and below said hanger in generally parallel relation thereto for sliding movement into and out of the hanger, said holder comprising (b) a pair of relatively narrow, elongated clamping members,

(c) one of said members having means slideable in said track,

(d) means for pivotally securing said members together adjacent one end thereof,

(e) manually operable means adjacent their opposite ends for detachably latching said members together, and

(f) at least one of said members being resiliently bowed longitudinally in an are normally tangent at a point between its ends to the other member, so as to exert pressure against the other member when flexed out of its normal bowed condition into a generally planar condition substantially parallel to the plane of said other member.

3. In a device for supporting and displaying a freely depending sheet and comprising a fixed hanger providing a generally horizontal track,

(a) a holder for detachably engaging a top marginal portion of a swatch of sheet material, said holder being supported by and below said hanger in generally parallel relation thereto for sliding movement into and out of the hanger, said holder comprising (-b) a pair of relatively narrow, elongated clamping members, each comprising a pair of generally parallel, longitudinally extending wires,

(c) one of said members having means slideable in said track,

(d) means for pivotally securing said members together adjacent one end thereof, and

(e) manually operable means adjacent their opposite ends for detachably latching said members together.

4. A combination as in claim 2 wherein each of said members comprises a pair of generally parallel, longitudinally extending wires.

5. A combination as in claim 3, wherein the longitudinal wires of one member are staggered relative to those of the other member, to provide firm clamping action on yieldable material disposed between said members.

6. In a device for supporting and displaying a freely depending sheet and comprising a fixed hanger providing a generally horizontal track,

(a) a holder for detachably engaging a top marginal portion of a swatch of sheet material, said holder being supported by and below said hanger in generally parallel relation thereto for sliding movement into and out of the hanger, said holder comprising (b) a pair of relatively narrow, elongated clamping members,

(c) one of said members having means slideable in said track,

((1) means for pivotally securing said members together adjacent one end thereof,

(e) manually operable means adjacent their opposite ends for detachably latching said members together,

(f) said hanger being generally of channel form and having disposed therein (g) a fixed stop for limiting inward movement of said holder,

(h) a pivoted, gravity-actuated stop permitting free entry of said holder into the hanger while normally stops of said hanger.

7. A combination as in claim 6, wherein said pivoted stop has a lip extending out of said hanger for digital manipulation.

8. A combination as in claim 1, wherein said hanger and holder have mutually cooperating means normally limiting outward sliding movement of the holder relative to the hanger to a point where a major portion of the holder and the material secured thereto are exposed to view, said limiting means being adjustable to permit complete removal of the holder from said hanger.

9. In a device for supporting and displaying a freely depending sheet and comprising a fixed hanger providing a generally horizontal track,

(a) a holder for detachably engaging a top marginal portion of .a swatch of sheet material, said holder being supported by and below said hanger in generally parallel relation thereto for sliding movement into and out of the hanger, said holder comprising (b) a pair of relatively narrow, elongated clamping members,

(c) one of said members having means slideable in said track,

(d) means for pivotally securing said members together adjacent one end thereof,

(e) manually operable means adjacent their opposite ends for detachably latching said members together,

(f) said hanger and holder having mutually cooperating means normally limiting outward sliding movement of the holder relative to the hanger to a point where a major portion of the holder and the material secured thereto are exposed to view, said limiting means being adjustable to permit complete removal of the holder from said hanger and comprising a latch pivotally secured to said hanger and a stop member fixed to said holder and reactable with said latch, said latch being gravity actuated into a position disposed in the path of said stop member and having a digital control portion whereby said latch may be rotated out of the path of said stop member to permit complete withdrawal of the holder from the hanger.

10. A combination as in claim 9, wherein said latch has a cam surface disposed toward the entry side of said hanger and slidably reactable with said stop member to permit free entry of the holder into the hanger.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,026,561 5/1912 Charlet 40-102 2,394,879 2/ 1946 Snook 223-96 2,851,167 9/ 1958 Rosenberg 21146 3,166,348 1/1965 Granger 294-615 3,185,309 5/1965 Radek 21146 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

I. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AND DISPLAYING A FREELY DEPENDING SHEET AND COMPRISING A FIXED HANGER PROVIDING A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL TRACK, (A) A HOLDER FOR DETACHABLY ENGAGING A TOP MARGINAL PORTION OF A SWATCH OF SHEET MATERIAL, SAID HOLDER BEING SUPPORTED BY AND BELOW SAID HANGER IN GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION THERETO FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF THE HANGER, SAID HOLDER COMPRISING (B) A PAIR OF RELATIVELY NARROW, ELONGATED CLAMPING MEMBERS OF SUBSTANTIAL WIDTH, (C) ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING MEANS SLIDEABLE IN SAID TRACK, (D) MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID MEMBERS TOGETHER ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, AND (E) MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS ADJACENT THEIR OPPOSITE ENDS FOR DETACHABLY LATCHING SAID MEMBERS TOGETHER, (F) SAID CLAMPING MEMBERS HAVING COOPERATING PORTIONS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE TOP OF THE DEPENDING SHEET AT A PLURALITY OF LEVELS THEREOF, THEREBY TO DISTORT THE TOP OF THE SHEET AT SAID PLURALITY OF LEVELS TO EFFECTIVELY CLAMP THE SHEET THEREBETWEEN. 